Ashford Manor

Budding debutantes Annabelle Elliot (Nicole Kitt) and her best friend Beatrice Moreland (Jasmine Teaa) are young British women on the cusp of entering society. Soon, their entire lives will be carefully curated by their mothers, including who they socialize with, how they are educated, and ultimately, whom they will marry. While both understand the expectations placed upon them, neither relishes the idea of losing their freedom, so to speak. When Beatrice's friend Katherine (Nolina Nyx) arrives at Ashford Manor with her husband Philip (Dillon Diaz) and their friend Graf Willhelm (Jonte), both young women find an opportunity to make their final summer of freedom one to remember.

This project is filmed as a four-part series, and only the first half of the tale is told here. It's a fully realized period piece, with amazing locations, sets, costumes, and dialogue. The story comes straight out of the British Regency Era from the perspective of the wealthy elite. Lavish and proper tea parties, expensive clothing, and cultural refinement are the backdrop for this tale. And behind that facade of prim and proper behavior was the sexual aching and awakening of England's young women. Director Inka Winter crafts a well-executed tale that captures the spirit tone of the time, and the cast does a more-than-admirable job transporting the audience to 1850s England.

Beatrice and Katherine find some time to reconnect first, stealing away one night to rekindle the long-dormant but never-extinguished embers of sexual tension between them. It's a tender coupling, filled with passion and ecstasy. The two friends caress each other as if it may be their last time, savoring every brush of the finger against the skin. It's a lovely scene that burns slow, sensual, and steady.

A candid conversation between Beatrice and Katherine leads to an exploratory threesome between the two and Katherine's husband Philip. Beatrice, sexually inexperienced, is coached patiently by her friend, while Philip allows her to explore his body as well as her own desires. They dynamic is intoxicating. Watching Beatrice awaken sexually under the tender hands of Katherine and Philip is quite satisfying.

This is a fantastic series that likely gets exponentially better with every episode. Inka tells a story of sexual awakening that is going to hit the mark with a ton of viewers, and the cast does a great job of telling her story. Porn and period pieces go together extremely well when done right, and it's nice to see Lust Cinema embrace that reality time and time again.